Watch Your Connotations!

December 15, 2010

If you are asking too many questions, would you rather be called "curious" or "nosy"? Even though these words have similar meanings, they have very different connotations. This week's two-page worksheet presents students with twelve pairs of words with similar definitions but different connotations.

Students will use the Visual Thesaurus to determine which word of the pair expresses the more positive connotation and which word expresses the more negative connotation. By learning more about words' connotations, students will hopefully be able to avoid inadvertently sending the wrong messages! Click here for the worksheet, and here to read the related lesson, "Shades of Meaning."